SPNL and Gold Trophy: A Mutual Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Hunting in Lebanon

SPNL and Gold Trophy organized a Partnership ceremony between SPNL and Gold Trophy which was at Bioland Farm Restaurant, Sghar, Batroun, Lebanon on 11 July 2015. The event witnessed also the signing of partnership between Gold Trophy and S.C.Vanatorul and Canisa Kris SRL (Romanian companies in the field of responsible hunting). The event was under the patronage of his excellency Romanian ambassador to Lebanon Victor MIRCEA.

The collaboration between Gold Trophy and SPNL will help in creating a platform where all concerned hunting parties will meet including hunting shops, shooting clubs, hunting associations, hunters, hotspots, municipalities, RHAs / HIMAs, etc.

This platform will assist in creating financial sustainability for all participating parties for the long run and serve as an awareness tool and learning curve for future generations.

Gold Trophy is a Lebanon-based hunting company, organizing hunting trips within Lebanon as well as to Romania, Morocco, and Iceland. SPNL, the BirdLife national partner in Lebanon, is non-governmental organization aiming at protecting nature, birds, and biodiversity in Lebanon.

Gold Trophy and SPNL share common values and join forces to launch a first-of-its-kind collaboration to promote sustainable responsible hunting in Lebanon and the region.

Objectives
A) Implement the 580 law starting 15 September 2015 which shall improve control and stop chaotic and illegal hunting in Lebanon.
B) Promote responsible hunting in Lebanon.
C) Create twinning between selected Lebanese villages and similar European regions to smartly update the local hunting practices and behaviors.
D) Develop “Responsible Hunting Areas” with a model hunting management system inspired from European hunting association models
E) Educate and train Lebanese hunters in an efficient, positive, and sustainable way
F) Launch a free smartphone application as a platform for all SPNL-Gold Trophy that features the common targets in terms of sustainable hunting and eco-friendly practices.

RHAs & HIMAs

A HIMA is a traditional approach for the conservation of natural resources. Since 2004, SPNL is promoting the “HIMA” community based approach for the conservation of key biodiversity sites in collaboration with municipalities and local authorities. This approach concentrates on the involvement of local communities in decision-making, promotes sustainable use of natural resources, and supports poverty alleviation through providing alternatives for income generation. SPNL is merging the traditions and values of the HIMA approach with the modern scientific techniques, such as identification of ecological sites, stakeholder analysis, and using participatory approaches for involving the local communities throughout the visioning, planning, and implementation. The HIMA system has proved to be the best solution for sustainable use of natural resources, for the conservation of culture and traditions and poverty alleviation. Gold Trophy currently owns and manages an 8,000 hectares Responsible Hunting Area in Oradea, Transylvania, Romania that is similar, yet larger in size, to the Lebanese HIMAs. With this new collaboration, these HIMAs will be transformed into RHA’s whereby only certified hunters can enter these lands and hunt inside, responsibly, while having all the needed facilities for a successful hunting trip including accommodation, food and beverage, security, guides, dogs, parking, etc., without of course forgetting the diversity of the games he/she is able to hunt. Gold Trophy will handle the business and marketing aspect of these HIMAs and make sure that Lebanon is present as a prime destination for sustainable and responsible hunting on the world hunting map.

Hunting Training Programs
Over the past years, Gold Trophy has provided practical trainings for hunters visiting Romania and exclusive hunting destinations. These trainings comprise local hunting laws, available games, hunting seasons, guns, eco-friendly practices, etc. SPNL will implement similar trainings for hunters wishing to get access to the previously mentioned HIMAs’ in collaboration with Gold Trophy. Any hunter wishing to become a Club Member and hunt within these HIMA’s will have to take the course(s) and pass the respective test.

Smartphone Application

SPNL has developed during the past years a valuable database of the 400 birds currently present in Lebanon in addition to Lebanese hunting hotspots, migration lines, and RHAs. At the moment, Gold Trophy and SPNL are launching a unique Smartphone Application which will be FREE to download by the user and will serve as a sustainable hunting guide for the local hunter. The application will feature information about birds, seasons, laws and decrees, hotspots, eco-friendly tips, directories, in addition to a rating system for the hunters to provide their ratings about hunting hotspots featured in the application. Nevertheless, users of the application will collect points by simply interacting with the application (Rating, commenting, clicking on ad banners, suggesting new locations, etc.). These points will be redeemed against valuable hunting tools and accessories from partner shops.

Al Hima: A way of life

This book is the fruit of a wide collaboration. It is an expression of rich ideas. But most of all it’s an articulation of passion. Almost every person who contributed to this book is passionate about the Hima question and the traditional approaches to conservation in general and the wealth in knowledge that indigenous people of this region hold in their collective memory.